Inlander ( Medicine on Trial ), a lecturer at Yale Medical School, is CEO of the People's Medical Society, a national consumer health organization. Here he turns his experience as a consumer health advocate to the subject of surgery, looking in detail at dozens of procedures, and offering general advice as well. The book is invaluable: Inlander stands by our side, yet he knows much more than a layman, and wants to share instead of hoard the goods. He's brisk, direct and conscientious, framing areas of information within questions that we might very well ask: ``What is the procedure?,'' ``What condition does the procedure treat?,'' ``Who performs the procedure?'' and ``Is this the most appropriate procedure for the condition?'' The procedures themselves range from toe amputation to cytoscopy, all itemized systematically. Introductory discussions tackle the largest questions, such as choosing a surgeon in the first place; the purviews of medical specialists, and which might best suit you; the issue of unnecessary surgery; and risks undergone in surgery. This book would be useful, eventually, on almost anyone's shelf. (Aug.)